Recoil-operated firearm.



J; M. BROWNING. REGOIL OPERYATED PIREARM. APPLIGATIONH'LED JULY s'o, 190.4.

Patented Feb. 14,1911.

a SHEETS-sum1' 1.

I' I Illll Il l J. M. BROWNINU. REGOIL OPERAIEDl PIRBARM. APPLIoATIN FILED JULY 3o, 1994.

984,263. Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

vJ. M. BROWN1NG. RECOIL OPBRATED FIREARM. APiLIoATIoN FILED JULY so, 1904.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED sTATEs r TENT oEEIoE.

JOHN M. BROWNING, 0F OGDEN, UTAH.

nEcoIL-OPEBATED FIEEARM.

Application led July 30, 1904. Serial No. 218,815.

' hereof.

This invention relates to recoil operated firearms and, while it is applicable generally to tire arms embraced' within this class, the invention will be illustrated and described herein in connection with the gun mechanisms shown in my former Letters Patent, and in particular Letters Patent of the United States numbered 659,780, dated November 16, 1900, and numbered. 701,288,

dated June 3, 1902.

One of the improvements in the present inventionrelates to the means for rotating the breech bolt within the bolt carrier, the object of the present improvements being to provide a simple means to effect the rotation of the bolt within the carrier which does not involve any considerable expense in its construction, and which will eifect the desired operation with certainty, ease and freedom.

Another ob'ect of the invention is to enable the empty shells, which have to be disof the gun barrelfrom their magazine, 4which means will be Set forth more part-icularly hereinafter.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for turning the bolt-which clamps the barrel to the gun frame m order Athat the gun may be quickly taken apart and embodied, -Figure 1"is a view'in side eleva- Specication of Letters Patent.

embraced with-v drawings, in which for purposes ofA illustration and explanation the invent-ion 1s Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

tion of a fire arm containing the improvements, the butt-stock and a portion of the gun barrel being broken away for convenience of illustration. Fig'. 2 is a View partly in central section and partly in elevation, showing` some of theinterior of the gun mechanism within the outer frame, the parts of such mechanism being in position ready for the gun to be fired and the hammer being at full cock, but with the safety device in position to prevent theiring of the gun and the rearward movement of the bolt carrier. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the safety device in its inoperative position, the bolt carrier in a position just short of its extreme rearward position with the breech bolt extended` and with the cartridge magalzine empty. Fig. 4 is a View partly in horizontal section through the center of the gun barrel and partly in plan of the parts as they appear in Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a side elevation and plan of the bolt carrier removed from the gun.l and with the breech bolt removed from the carrier.

Figs. 7, S and 9 are respectively oppositel side views and a front end elevation of the breech bolt. Figs. 10 and 11 are respectively a side elevation and a plan of the checking device for the bolt carrier which is brought into operation by the spring-actuated follower inthe magazine when all of the cartridges have been discharged therefrom. Figs. 12 and 13 are respectively a plan and a sideelevation of the lever and shaft for operating the safety device. Figs. 14, 15 and 16 are detail views of parts of the safety device. Fig. 17 v is a view, partly in section and partly in eleva-tion` showing the buffer for the barrel.

In describing the invention it will be unnecessary to describe in detail a full operativegunmechanism, as reference may be hadL v for such description to my former Letters Patent above referred to; and only so much, therefore, of a gun mechanism as may be nec.-

essary to enable the invention to be underp' stood, will be alluded to.

The recoil barrel aA as will be understood, is carried in a barrel jacket b which is secured to the gun frame c, the latter containing most of the gun mechanism. When the gun is fired the breech 4bolt d (rotatable in the reciprocating bolt carrier e, which is cored to receive the bolt and constitutes with -the bolt the breech closure of the gun), recoils with the barrel which, in the position j from' the barrel, and'accordingly are not g easily withdrawn from the barrel, being held tightly therein in a very hot and in which the gun is fired (Fig. 2), is locked to the bolt and when the recoil takes place the barrel, carrier and bolt move back in the same relative positions as shown in- Fig. 2. The means for locking the bolt and barrel together may'comprise, as shown in the various figures, projections or lugs f upon the bolt and correspondinggrooves (not show n) in the rear end of the barrel which are adapted to be engaged by said projections or lugs, the latter as the bolt and barrel come together entering-longitudinal slots, one of which is shown at hyin theA barrel and being rotatedby suitable meanswhich are provided to turn th bolt to Vbring said projections or lugs into tl eir grooves in the rear of the gun barrel, as clearly explained in my former Letters Patent.

After the recoil has taken .place and the barrel, bolt and bolt carrier have moved to their rearward positions, the carrier is checked by the latch z', as was explained in my `former Letters Patent. while thc barrel.

moves forward again under the action of expense in the manufacture of the parts.

In the present case there are providedcam slots j in the bolt, preferably two in number, and diametrically opposite each other in the periphery of the bolt vso that one may balance the other. these slots being shaped substantially as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 while pins lo are provided upon'the carrier and extend into the central space therein'in which -th boit reciprocates: and into the cam slots j respectively.` In-this way-a very simple means is provided to eectthefrotation of the bolt within the carrier and one which does not involve-'any considerable expense 'n its construction andwhich will effect the de-L necessary certainty,`

sired operation with the 4ease and 'freedom'. Y, After each firing of the gun takes place and the recoil drivesback thecarrierand barrel,

the lattenpas 'already described, moves forward 'again 'while the carrier is retained for a moment in' its rearward position. As the barrel moves forward, the extractor et on the bolt engages the' head of the blank which is drawn outof the. barrel and ejected. On ,ac-Y' count of the rapidity with which the gun operates, the blanks are not 4permitted to cool even slightly before'. beingY extracted the barrel spring (not shown) drawing as moves, the core out of the carrier and at the somewhat expanded condition. In order to assist in starting these hot blanks from @the barrel, the latter is adapted to begin its forwardmotion While the carrier is still moving"backward,v fso l.that the momentum of the carrier while'so vmoving backward may be added to the impulse of the forward movement of the barrel in starting the blanks. The barrel in recoiling when near Vthe' limit of its rearward movement is stopped by the buffer spring contained in the barrel jacket as shown and described in my Patent N o. however,

the barrel is stoppedentirely by `the buli'cr which is located in such a position that the .barrel is stopped while the bolt carrier has yet about one-half an inch to travel rearward. By this arrangement the bolt carrier is moving to the rear while the barrel is moving forward which causes a heavy blo7 to be struck upon the extractor to start the empty shell.

When the barrel is moved back to its first 701,288; in the present case,

position, it depresses a lever .m which controls the latch d causing it to release the carrier which. provided the magazine isnot exhausted of its cartridges, then-moves forward with the breech bolt held non-rotatable in its forward but 4already ters .Patent As the carrier moves forward across the magazine n containing cartridges o, one over the other and all being pressed upward by a spring actuated follower p, one or more projections or fingers g, preerably'one upon each side 4and upon the lower forward end of the carrier, engagethe head of the top-"cartridge and push it from the maga-zine forward and upward into the chamber of the gun barrel. The two fingers are preferable to a single piece inasmuch as they push upon the cartridge head at each side and therefore assure the centering of each cartridge as it Vis transferredA from, the magazine -to the chamber of the gun barrel. notwithstanding any unevenness in the head of thecartridge.

the gtwo fingers, asl the 'carrier apposition by means not shown described in my former Letpreaches the limit of its forward movement,

a' longitudinal rib or ange a" .on the for- .ward upper end of the magazine is received and'serves to keep the carrier properly centered, so that the cartridges may be delivered accurately into the breech. More- 'over'thegtwo fingers bear the cartridges .above therib or flange so that there is ,no

possibility of the head of the cartridges becomingcaught by coming-in contant with said rib 'or ange or any other underlying part as has been the caseheretofore, where position (shown in Fig. 2) and prevent accidental opening or accidental firing thereof, a safety'device is providedand may comprise a rotatable sleeve portion 1' (Figs. 14, 15 and 16) upon which are provided projectionsor fingers s preferably twov in number, to engage notches t in the link u which connects and operates with the bolt carrier and with a projection v adapted to be brought in .front of an offset'w upon the trigger w. The safety device may further comprise a shaft y within the sleeve portion r towhich it is keyed and manually operative controlling lever z, through which as will be obvious the positions of the projections or fingers may be controlled, is secured to the shaft y. When the lever e is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the trigger and bolt carrier will be locked, and the gun can neither be fired nor opened, the positions of the projections or fingers being as indicated in Fig. 2; but .when thelever is depressed the projections or ngers will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 3 and the gun may be operated as if no safety device were present. gitudinal slot 2, in Which'the handle 3 upon the bolt carrier e moves back and forth as' the gun operates, is normally closed by the lever .e which fits closely against the side of the gun and is of an'elongated shape to completely cover the slot 2 when the gun'is locked.

For convenience in screwing and u'nscrewing the screw bolt 5, which passes through the take down head 6 Ainto the forward end of the frame c, a lever 7 may be pivoted in a straight groove 8 in the head of the bolt. Normally the lever will rest in the forward stock 9, indicated in dotted lines, but when it is desired ,to screw or unscrew teh bolt 5, the stock is removed and the lever turned so that it is perpendicular to the bolt, when the bolt mayr be easily rotated.

It will be obvious that many changes vmay be made in the embodiment of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim as my invention 1. In a device of the character described.; the combination of a recoilable` barrel and means to limit its, rearward movement, a bolt and carrier'therefor mounted so as topermit a greaterrearward movement than .the barrel, connecting elements between the bolt and barrel to hold them together during the rearward movement of the latter and elements operated by a continued movement of the carrier after the barrel has been arrested b v the limiting means to cause an unlocking of the bolt and barrel.

2. In a recoil operated ire arm the combi-.-

nat-ion of recoilable barrel, limiting means to limit its rearward movement, a breech bolt and carrier therefor and extractors secured to the bolt, elements to secure the bolt Furthermore, the lonwardly, elements operated by the continued rearward movement of the carrier after the barrel has engaged the limiting means to cause the bolt to become unsecured to the -barre] and free to move rearwardly relative thereto,4the rearward movement of the bolt of the barrel.4

3. In a recoil operated fire arm the combination of a recoilable barrel, means for limiting its rearward movement, a breech bolt and carrier` therefor, bayonet connecting means between the bolt and barrel for locking them together, pin and slot connections between the carrier and bolt of such shape wardly relative thereto and after the barrel is arrested'to rotate the bolt sufficiently to unlock the bolt and barrel and also to imparta rearward movement of the bolt from the carrier by further movement of the carrier, and a shell extractor carried by the bolt; the carrier and bolt both so mounted that they can continue to move'rearwardly after Ithe unlocking and thus cau'se moveeating part` gun barrel.

5. In a recoil operated fire arm, the combination of a reciprocating part constituting the breech closure of the gun, a hammer, a

is closed against the end of the trigger controlling the hammer, and a safety device having a rotatable portion with fingers rigidly attached to said portion to engage the reciprocating part and the trigger respectively and manually operative means engaging A the rotatable portion whereby the ing part from movement.

6. In a recoil operated fire arm, the combit-he breech closure of the gun, a hammer, a trigger cont-rolling the hammer, and a safety device having a rotatable portion with ngers rigidly attached to said portion to engage t-he reciprocating part andthe trigger portion, and a lever secured to the shaft 4'whereby the rotatable portion may be 'ro-y tated to lock the reciprocating part from movement.

7. In a recoil operated nation of a reciprocating part, a handle and barrel together as the barrel moves rearbeing greater than the rearward. movement.

trigger from movement when the reciprosame may be rotated to lock the. reciprocat' fire arm, the combil and construction as to cause a partial ,rotation of the bolt when the carrier moves rearment of the carrier to impart through the y nation of a reciprocating part constituting respectively, a shaftkeyed to the rotatable :V l

y upon the reciprocating part, said fire arm 8. In a recoiloperated re arm, the combination with the gun barrel, of a magazine,

' a part constituting the breech closure of'the gun adapted to reciprocate above the magazine, two projections upon the lower forward end of the reciprocating part to push a carof the gun barrel, and a. fixed rib each side of which the projections work in the opera tion of the arm. l

9. In a recoil operated re arm, the combitridge from the magazine into the chamber I nation with the n barrel, of a magazine, a breech bolt, aldlt `carrier adapted to reciprocate above'the magazine, a projection upon the lower forward end of. the bolt carrier to push a cartridge from .the lmagazine into the chamber of rthe longitudinal rib upon the orward upper end of the magazine for the purpose specified.

This specification signed and witnessedthis fifteenth day of July, 1904.

JOHN M. BROVVNING.

In `the presence of ANTHONY N. JEsBEnA, LUcIUs E. VARNEY.

n barrel, and a 

